Aldo the American Kestrel was in his element last week at the Bad River Environmental Open House. Crowds of people walked by our booth as Aldo preened and ate mouse tidbits. I fielded the typical questions about his diet, feather colors, and where to see kestrels in the wild. Then I got a new question: Why is his nose so orange?
Over the past few weeks, I noticed a gradual color change in his cere, the skin at the base of the beak where his nostrils are. It is normally a bright yellow like the skin in front of his eyes. But the cere had in fact darkened toward tangerine. I figured I should check in with our vet to see if this was a problem.
Luckily she reassured me that this was a normal seasonal change for male kestrels. Their ceres tend to turn orange during the breeding season, presumably to help attract a mate.
Aldo doesn't just rely on his handsome cere to show off during this time of year. He often displays in a "nest" on the floor of his mew, bowing and trilling loudly. Next time you walk by the mews, listen for Aldo trying to attract attention!
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